Road indicator



Sept. 2, 1930. C;A F. VAN HORN 1,774,683

ROAD INDICATOR Filed Oct. v25 1926 ff'aflf? hij@ fl 30 Il In I lll Il lIl /l/lll//ll/ll//l 'fill/111111111111511 Patented Sept. 2, 1930 PATENTOFFICE GEORGE F. VAN HORN, F EVANSVILLE, INDIANA ROAD INDICATORApplication led .October 25, 1926. Serial No. 143,999.

The present invention relates to imp-rovements 1n the drivingmeansforvehicle road` indicators having a movable band or ribbon,bearing indicia at different points of its length representing differentroad conditions, ,ob-

jects, or locations whichv will be encountered as the vehicle advances,whereby the movable band or ribbon is more accurately vcoordinated withthe driving means and is susceptible to onproved regulation of its rateof travel;

The novel features and combinations involved in my improveddrivingmechanism are hereinafter described and are recited in theappended claims. Y In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1, is a longitudinal section;

Fig. 2, is a front view, the'top of the case being broken away and thetape or ribbon being removed;

Fig. '3, isa front view;

Fig. l1, is a cross section; and l Fig. 5, is a detailviewshowingthefspool and part of the ribbon. Y

The mechanism is carried by a suitable boxing or casing 1, having a`cover 2 provided with a window or sight opening 3 which is providedwith a pane of glass or Celluloid 4:.

The cover 2 may be removed and for that purpose it is secured in anysuitable manner to the boxing l.

While I 'do not use of a tape or ribbon which bears the indicia,nevertheless a tape 'or ribbon is Well adapted to carry out theinvention, such tape or ribbon appears at 5, being originallywound on aspool 6 which isV suitably mounted so that it can be removed to makewayfor an-v other spool or ribbon, it being understood that the tape orband 5 isunwound from the spool 6 as the automobile travels. The tape orribbon 5 passes over rollers 7 and partly around a corrugated feedroller 8 and thence through a channel or guide-way 9 out through an'opening 10 in the boX or casing 1'. i.

A pressure Vor tension roller 11, sub]ect to any suitable springtension, presses the tape or ribbon 5 against the corrugated feedrollerV 8 to insure' a positive and even feed of the ribbon or tapeinthe direction indicated by.

the arrows.

limit the invention to the The feed. roller 8 isdriven by gears 12,`counter-shaft 13, and gearsligfrom a shaft 16 which carries a largebevel gear 16. i

Vlfhegear 16 is driven by a pinion 17 carried by a shaft 18 which issuitably mounted. 55

The shaft 18 carries a suitable splined friction pinion 19 which turnsthe shaft 18 and may be slid along saidr shaft by an arm 20 having aslot and pin connection 21 `with the collar that Carries said pinion.The arm200 is carried by a shaft 22 `which* has a handle 23 i located onthe outside of the casing 1. This handle may be moved to differentpositions and secured in anyY suitable manner to lock the pinion 19 inadjusted position'at any de-` 65 sired distance from the center ofrotation of a driving friction disc 24 with whichsaid pinionV engages.By this means, the rate of rotation of theshaft 18 and hence of the feedroller 8 may be changed at will so that the operation of the device maybe synchronized with that of any rotating part of the automobile fromwhich the device is driven. vThe disc 211 is driven by gearing 25 from aspindle 26 which may be connected, by flexible shaftingor otherwise, tothe speedometershaft or" to any shaft on the car. Of course, it isnecessary to so set the pinion 19 ythat it will be timed to obtain thecorrect feed of the ribbonV 5 so that the. indications on the ribbonwillgSO appear at the proper points as the car travels along the road. Yi

The ribbon 5 bears Vany suitable indicia to indicate the objects ofinterest or the road conditions or the hazards which will be ap-..proached. For instance,l have illustrated a combined curve in the roadand a railroad crossing at 27. Thesegindications or symbols appear insuccession on the tape or ribbon 5 and are successively displayedthrough the window L1, it being understood that -the appliance islocated on the instrument board or in any suitablev position where itmay be readily observed by the' driver. The ap-` pliance can, however,be located where it may l be observed bypassengers.. V i

. It will be understood that the invention can be readilychanged vsothat it will be utilized to acquaint passengers in an automobile olitecbus with points of interest which are being approached.

As thus far described, the invention is adapted to indicateroadcondit-ions and will serve its purpose if the driver or other personwho should observe the device does, in fact, observe it as the cartravels along. However, as it is necessary for a driver to watch theroad ahead and as it is desirable that dangerous conditions beemphasized and forcibly brought to the attention of the driver, I haveprovided visual and audible signals and the ribbon or tape 5 is utilizedfor the purpose of causing the closing of electrical circuits to saidsignals.

In Order that the sight opening 3 and the tape 5 may be properlyilluminated at night. there is provided an electric bulb 23 arranged toilluminate them. This light may be illuminated at night.

The special signals which are provided comprise one or more signallights Q9 suitably mounted in the casing which are arranged underneaththe lenses 30. The lenses 30 may be of the same color or they may be ofdifferent colors or of any desired combination of colors. In fact, it isadvantageous to have at least some of these lenses of a colorrepresenting danger, for instance amber or red. I do not restrict thispart of the invention to any color or colors. I also provide one or moreaudible signals, for instance electrie bells 3l which are energized togive audible warning when the ribbon or tape 5 displays the approach ofa point of danger.

To enable the tape or ribbon 5 to automatically operate the lamps 29 andbells 3l, said ribbon or tape is provided with slots 32. rlhe slots 32correspond in number with the lights 29, by preference, and they arearranged in offset relation to each other and are related to theindications 27 so that the appropriate lamp 29 will be illuminated whenthe bell 3l is sounded, to convey to the driver the particular conditionbeing approached. F or instance, a railroad crossing is perhaps the mostdangerous condition to be encountered by the driver of a bus orautomobilegconsequently, it is advisable to arrange one of the slots 32in such relationship to the indication 27 representing a crossing aswill insure the illumination of one of the lights 29 representingdanger, for instance, a light arranged to illuminate a red lens or anamber lens 30.

There are as many electrical switches as there are signal lights 29.These switches are normally held open by the contact of the ribbon ortape 5 with an arm 33 thereof which operates the switch against theact-ion of a spring 33 to open the contacts 33. The arm 33 of eachswitch is arranged so that it will enter the appropriate slot 32 in theribbon or tape 5 when said slot comes into register therewith. When thisoccurs, the spring 33 closes the switch contacts` 33 and thus closes thecircuit 34 to the appropriate lamp 29.

Preferably, the arm 33 has a roller so that it will operate easily whenentering or leaving the slot 32.

The bell or bells 3l are sounded each time one of the switches 33closes.

lVhat I claim is:

l. In a road indicator for vehicles of the character provided with afeed roller and a movable band or ribbon driven thereby bearing indiciaat different points of its length representing different roadconditions, objects, or locations which will be en countered as thevehicle advances, positively and continuously acting driving means frband or ribbon comprising a shaft adapted to be driven by the vehicle, abevel pinionl carried by said shaft, a rotatable flat friction discwhich carries bevel gear teeth which mesh with the aforesaid pinion,whereby the disc is positively driven without possibility of slippage inrespect to the aforesaid pinion, a friction pinion bearing against thefriction face of said fiat dise and a train solely comprising rotarydriving elements operated by said friction pinion which directlyconnects the friction pinion to the feed roller for the bandf or ribbon.

f2. In a road indicator for vehicles of the character provided with afeed roller and a movable band or ribbon carried thereby bearing indiciaat different points of its length representing differentroad conditions,objects, or locations which will be encountered as the vehiclevadvances, positivel-y andv continuously acting driving means for saidband or ribbon comprising a shaft adapted to be driven by the vehicle, abevel pinion carriedy by said shaft, a rotatable fiat friction discwhich carries bevel gear teeth which mesh with the aforesaidv pinion,whereby the disc is positively driven without possibility of slippage inrespect to the aforesaid pinion, a sha-ft arranged crosswise of the flatfriction disc, a friction pinion slidably mount Ved on, andr rotatablewith, said last-named shaft and-bearing against the friction face ofsaid flat disc, whereby said friction pinion is driven by said disc,manually operable means for shifting said friction pinion along itsshaft and holding it where set, thereby to enable the rate of travel ofthe band or ribbon to be regulated, and a train solely comprising rotarydriving elements operated by said last-named shaft which directlyconnects saidshaft to the feed roller for the band or ribbon.

In testimony whereof I afiin my signature.

GEORGE F. VAN HORN.

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